JFH News: Presence Music Shares Christmas Hope in the Midst of Grief with "The Darkness Didn't Know"

Presence Music Shares Christmas Hope in the Midst of Grief with "The Darkness Didn't Know"

Joel Vaughn and Avenue Music join Presence Music on a new single connecting the manger, the cross and the empty tomb

NEWS SOURCE: Kingdom Impact Group
November 6, 2026

DULUTH, Minn. -- For those entering Christmas with the absence of someone they love, the season's message of hope can feel deeply personal. Presence Music brings that experience into "The Darkness Didn't Know," available today, with Joel Vaughn and Avenue Music joining the band on the new Christmas single.

Written just three days after vocalist Leah Monson lost her brother, the song emerged while grief was still fresh. At its heart is the need to remember that God's character does not change, even when life has changed in ways that are difficult to understand.

"I remember feeling God's presence really heavy in those first couple of days, like He was calling me to stand against the darkness for those who can't," Leah Monson shares. "I wanted to write something that spoke directly to the fact that even when darkness thinks that it's won, God is always five steps ahead, writing a story the enemy could never comprehend."

"At first we wondered, should we still try to write a Christmas song, or write a song at all?" recalls co-writer Jonathan C. Smith of Avenue Music. "But just like God, the present situation became the inspiration for the song -- that in the end darkness doesn't win, and God's plan triumphs over all of the plans of the enemy. I believe that was the message that needed to be written that day, and I hope it can be a beacon of light for others who feel like they are in darkness or feel hopeless."

That perspective shapes the song's telling of the Christmas story. The lyrics begin with a newborn's cries in Bethlehem, then follow Jesus to the cross and the empty tomb. Each scene points toward a promise that reaches beyond Christmas morning: the Child in the manger came to bring a hope that death could not take away.

"From manger to the grave / He was writing a story / The darkness didn't know," the chorus declares.

For listeners carrying sorrow into the holidays, the song makes room for grief while pointing toward redemption. Its message draws from the same Gospel hope that Leah and Brandon Monson share through Presence Music's ministry -- a hope they needed personally in the days when this song was written.

"I want them to hear that there is hope found in the One who holds them in their grief," Leah adds. "God sent His only Son so we could have hope that when this life is over, there will be no more grief, only life eternal for those who put their trust in the One who is writing our story."

Joel Vaughn and Avenue Music join Presence Music in bringing that message to life, with Vaughn also producing the recording. The release is supported by a national Christian radio campaign led by Josh Lauritch of 55 Promotion, building on the band's previous Christmas airplay on SiriusXM.

This December, Presence Music will take its music and ministry on the road for Christmas In The Round, joining Mark Schultz, Britt Nicole and Warren Peay.

"The Darkness Didn't Know" is available now on major streaming platforms, with an official lyric video also available.

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About Presence Music

Presence Music is a nationally touring Christian pop-country/worship band from Duluth, Minnesota, led by husband and wife Brandon and Leah Monson. What began as a local ministry has grown into a national platform, with the band sharing stages and tours with artists including Mark Schultz, Britt Nicole, Ryan Stevenson, Stars Go Dim, Love & The Outcome, and more. Presence Music creates honest, hope-filled songs and live moments that point people to Jesus. The band's growing impact includes national media features with Newsmax and Cornerstone Television Network, music featured in the film My 7 Grandmas on Prime Video, SiriusXM airplay, and a continued commitment to using music, testimony, and live events to share the life-changing message of the Gospel.

For more information, visit presencemusicband.com.

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For more info on Joel Vaughn, visit the JFH Artists Database.